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UO Men’s Basketball

Transfer enrolls, and now waits

Former Minnesota guard Devoe Joseph can play for UO after fall quarter of 2011

By Ron Bellamy

The Register-Guard

Appeared in print: Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, page C3

Considering their injuries, the Oregon men’s basketball team could certainly use Devoe Joseph immediately, but as required by NCAA rules the Ducks will have to wait until the end of fall quarter next December before the transfer combo guard from the University of Minnesota can get on the floor for games.

Coach Dana Altman confirmed Tuesday that Joseph enrolled at Oregon on Monday and began taking winter quarter classes. He will be a senior in eligibility when he can begin playing for the Ducks in the final nonconference games and the Pac-12 season in 2011-12.

“He brings a lot of experience,” Altman said. “He’s been in the NCAA Tournament, he’s a winner.”

Joseph was suspended twice this season by UM men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith, for a total of seven games, for unspecified violation of team rules. Altman said he had two conversations with Smith, who recommended that Oregon take Joseph after the guard decided to transfer.

“I talked with Tubby Smith a couple of times about him coming and joining our team and Tubby thought it was a good move for both Devoe and our program,” Altman said. “I’ve known Tubby for a long time. I think it’s going to be a win-win. We need some help, some leadership. We’ve got a good freshman class coming in and we’re excited that he’s joined our team. ...

“(Smith) recommended very strongly that we take him. I think it worked out for both of us.”

In his UM career, Joseph played in 76 games, including 25 starts. He averaged 7.7 points and 2.4 assists and shot .382 on three-point attempts.

Joseph, 6-feet-3, was Canada’s national prep player of the year before becoming the top recruit in Smith’s 2008 recruiting class, his first as the Gophers’ head coach. His younger brother, Cory, plays at Texas.

Joseph told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press that the issue of transferring first came up during the original six-game suspension. “I wouldn’t say that incident was the main reason why I wanted to leave,” Joseph was quoted. “But coach and I did have our ins and outs. There were talks about me leaving then. When someone transfers, it usually doesn’t happen all of a sudden. It’s usually an ongoing process.”

Joseph told the Pioneer-Press that the decision “was definitely very hard because Minnesota was like home to me. I respect coach Smith a lot. He’s really a good coach. I don’t feel like our relationship is truly gone. We both understand what we want to do in life. My teammates and I still have a very good relationship. They will always be like brothers to me.”

Joseph said he “felt like a new situation and a new fit might help me.”

Ducks try to figure out starters

After 84 years in McArthur Court, the Ducks (7-9, 0-4) make their debut in Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday night, hosting Southern California (10-6, 2-1).

Oregon officials have urged fans to arrive early. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and there’s a special pregame show at 7:40 p.m. with tip-off scheduled shortly after 8 p.m. The game will be televised on FSN, with a pregame show at 7:30 p.m.

Which Ducks will be introduced when the starting lineups are called?

That’s a tough question to answer, because center Joevan Catron (strained calf), forward Jeremy Jacob (knee) and point guard Malcolm Armstead (knee/leg), all starters, came back hobbled from the Washington road trip.

“I’m not sure if they’ll be able to play or not,” Altman said. “It will probably be a game-time decision. If not, it leaves us very short-handed.”

E.J. Singler and Johnathan Loyd would seem the sure starters against USC, with Tyrone Nared, Garrett Sim and Jay-R Strowbridge or Teondre Williams likely to get the call if the injured Ducks can’t go.

USC coach ‘won’t miss’ Mac

Southern California coach Kevin O’Neill has been coming to games in McArthur Court since he was an assistant at Arizona in the 1980s.

“I think Mac Court was one of the all-time great homecourt advantages, to be honest with you,” O’Neill said Tuesday. “I mean, that’s a tough place to play, right from the bad locker rooms up through the fans being right on top of you. So I won’t miss it. Time moves on, and they’ve got a brand-new arena.”

Which doesn’t mean that O’Neill didn’t consider Mac Court “a great place to play. I remember when I was at Arizona in the late ‘80s and we were ranked in the top five a couple of years in a row, the fans waiting outside the arena, the students, waiting to get you on the way in.

“Just a loud, boisterous place. ... I’m sure everyone who has been around the Pac-10 for a long time has very fond memories of Mac Court.”

O’Neill didn’t have to go far back for his most vivid memory.

“It probably has to be that technical foul the official called on our manager last year up there,” O’Neill said. “I hadn’t been privy to seeing one of those before. It kind of changed the flow of the game.”

The Ducks prevailed in that game, 67-57, then lost five straight before defeating the Trojans again, 54-44, in Los Angeles.